Lithuania again shuts Vilnius airport, Belarus border over balloon sightings
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Lithuania’s Vilnius airport was closed on Oct 25, due to weather balloons entering its airspace again from neighbouring Belarus.
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- Vilnius airport closed due to weather balloons from Belarus, causing the fourth disruption this month; traffic suspended until 2 a.m. (GMT).
- Lithuania blames smugglers sending contraband cigarettes via balloons and accuses Belarus's Lukashenko of inaction, escalating tensions.
- Recent drone sightings and air incursions at European airports, including Copenhagen and Munich, have repeatedly disrupted aviation.
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VILNIUS - Nato member Lithuania closed its capital airport late on Oct 25 and shut both crossings on the border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted into the Baltic country’s territory for a second consecutive day.
Traffic at Vilnius Airport was suspended until 2am (7am on Oct 26 in Singapore), while the Belarus border will remain shut until the same time, Lithuanian officials said.
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos
The Vilnius airport also closed on Oct 21 and Oct 24 of this week and on Oct 5, each time due to balloons entering the capital’s airspace, authorities have said.
Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene on Oct 24 said the country’s National Security Commission will meet next week to assess the situation. REUTERS
